Gene Spafford

Eugene H. Spafford is a professor of Computer Sciences at Purdue University. He is also the founder and Executive Director Emeritus of the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security. He has been working in computing as a student, researcher, consultant, and professor for 45 years. Some of his work is at the foundation of current security practice, including intrusion detection, incident response, firewalls, integrity management, and forensic investigation. His most recent work has been in cyber security policy, forensics, and future threats. He has also been a pioneer in education, including starting and heading the oldest degree-granting cybersecurity program.

Dr. Spafford has been recognized with significant honors from various organizations. These include being elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAA&S), and the Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); a Life Fellow of the ACM, the IEEE, and the (ISC)2; a Life Distinguished Fellow of the ISSA; and a member of the Cyber Security Hall of Fame — the only person to ever hold all these distinctions. In 2012 he was named one of Purdue’s inaugural Morrill Professors — the university’s highest award for the combination of scholarship, teaching, and service. In 2016, he received the State of Indiana’s highest civilian honor by being named as a Sagamore of the Wabash.

Among many other activities, he is vice-chair of ACM Publications Ethics & Plagiarism Committee, is editor-in-chief of the journal Computers & Security, serves on the Board of Directors of the Computing Research Association, and as a member of the National Security Advisory Board for Sandia Laboratories.

More information may be found in the Narrative Bio For Spaf

Gene recently co-authored Cybersecurity Myths and Misconceptions